The Best Gift
by MidnightStarr
Summary: She knew what she was getting into right from the start, but she did it anyway; now she has to deal with the consequences. Hopefully though, someone else can find a blessing in her choice. ...Maybe two someones. [oneshot]


Mariam had tried her hardest to pretend that Max Tate was just her mission, and nothing more.

He was in possession of a sacred bitbeast who held enough power to tear the world into pieces and kill off half of humanity if it slipped into the wrong hands.

Max Tate was her job, and nothing less the object of her forced travel to the Big Apple. She was there to watch him, basically stalk his every move and when the time was right... Challenge him to a match that a world champion couldn't refuse.

She was also moderately sure, for _some _reason or another that Ozuma, Dunga and Joseph weren't having the same issues with their targets in Moscow, Sai Kung and Beycity.

Mariam was positive Ozuma wasn't watching Tyson and saying, '_He really is a nice guy.'_  
Mariam had the sneaking suspicion that Dunga didn't stop to think Kai was _'not nearly as heartless as he's made out to be.'_  
And Mariam was pretty confident that her brother wasn't looking at Ray and wondering just _'how could someone with such kind eyes be capable of such harm?'_

And therein, laid the female Saint Shield's problem. And the second part of what Mariam didn't expect to find in New York City (but more on that later).

On her second night there she'd said to hell with sleeping on one of those god-awful wooden benches in Central Park. The rangers were dicks, to put it lightly, and they threatened her with juvenile at the police department if she didn't get her ass up and go back home to her family. Apparently teenaged runaways made a habit of escaping to Central Park to try and dodge their folks. (Let alone the constant threat of a mugger or some pervert trying to cop a feel while she slept- Yeah safe little Newfoundland, New York was not.)

It was sad to picture how many kids must've spent lonely nights there, but when Mariam was roused to a knightstick shoved into her ribcage on an already-cold morning she couldn't really find the sympathy.

So on that second night, earlier on in the day having found Max for the very first time, she paid some of what little money she had to rent out a no-doubt cockroach-infested room at one of the sleaziest motels she could find.

That was reasonably close to Max and his mother's New York upscale apartment. For her viewing pleasure.

She'd tossed her duffle bag onto the dusty sheets and looked around the sparse room with little to no interest. Her brothers and herself had been trained for this their entire lives, and while the thrill of finally taking Draciel kept Mariam dedicated, she couldn't say she was pleased with the living conditions. Or the fact that taking one of the legendary beasts meant so much time away from home and without anyone else's company.

Sighing, she slipped off her cloak and took a seat on the barren bedspread. God, how many men and women on this old bed- _Nope_; enough. She shuddered and opened her backpack to pull out one of the little pleasantries she'd found so far in the city; a little corner-cafe bistro that sold just the best plate of nachos she could've ever imagined.

Turns out she _really _liked Mexican food; something her little town back home had naught, sadly, to offer.

She had about four of the spicey, cheesey chips stuffed into her mouth when an odd noise from outside the room's window caught her attention.

She froze, listened harder; it sounded like whimpering, something not quite mournful but definitely not happy either and the more she heard it the more it bothered her. So, groaning, Mariam scraped herself off the bed and walked over to the low-lying window of the motel room.

Wasn't much to look at it; faced straight into a brick wall with a narrow alley in-between. Barely enough for the blue-haired girl to get her torso out through. It was what was below the outside window sill, that was the first surprise she'd found in New York.

It was a cardboard box, torn, nearly collapsed in on one side, and damp from the potholes and gutter drainage of a dirty backalley.

And the whimpering belonged to the little brown squirming puppy inside, that barely had its eyes open.

Mariam couldn't contain the pitiful noise she made even though she knew there wasn't a soul around who was paying any attention. The tiny form inside the old box was shivering, still weaning, and it tugged at the inside of Mariam that no doubt wished for kids of her own some day. Animals and kids were a lot alike... They never deserved a cruel thing in any manner, shape or form.

Mariam used the old, tattered spine of a bible to keep the window open after she'd climbed out. Written on the side of the box in hasty, thick scrawl with a permanent marker were the words "**FREE TO GOOD HOME**". It was safe to assume that at one point maybe there were more than just the sole brown pup making its home out of the alleyway; but by now, the little guy's brothers and sisters had probably found loving homes.

She bit her bottom lip.

Did she leave the dog in the box and give him his own chance at finding home, orrrrrr did she let the affectionate side of her female psyche and adoration for all things cute and bouncy get the best of her and take the tiny thing inside?

Rubbing the back of her neck, Mariam had stayed there for nearly five minutes just weighing the options and listening to the puppy yowl. She didn't have the money to spare for proper dog food, and god knows Ozuma and the town elders would berate her for taking in a stray that she couldn't bring home to Canada.

She moved her hands to her hips. The other puppies had found homes, right? This one would too. Surely. Hell maybe somebody was already planning on adopting him. Totally.

Mariam wasn't allowed to have animals in the room either, and besides; tomorrow her mission really began, and it wasn't like she was going to have tons of time to pick up after the dog or train it or _love _it.

So it was settled.

Mariam climbed back through the window and her heart just _wouldn't _let her leave the little thing out there starving, so she scraped half the cheese and ground beef off of her nachos. He could use it more than her. So the dog probably had one of the better lunches of his very young life.

Then she moved the book out of the way, let the window close, and decided to hit the sack; maybe tomorrow when she woke up the little guy would already be safe and warm in some lucky kid's arms.

Mariam spent maybe two hours tossing and turning and listening to the cries before she cursed. "Oh dammit..."

The puppy stopped weaning when he was wrapped in Mariam's bed sheets, warm and safe with a new outlook on life.

* * *

"Oliver...? No. Too human-y."

She was sitting on the high-rise roof across from Max Tate's apartment, swinging her ankles as she waited for the blonde to get done having lunch. From this spot she had a fairly good view into the BladeBreaker's window and from her angle, she was decently hard to see as dusk crept over the New York skyline.

"Champ? Fuck that..."

She rested her chin in her hands and sighed. Damn her for taking in that stupid dog... No wonder people tried to get rid of puppies and kittens quickly before they got attached; this sucked.

Right now the mutt was no doubt pissing and probably shitting over one of the only two knitted blankets Mariam had brought with her, making a nice little nest of warmth and helping himself to the remaining half of her Big Mac. Lucky little fucker. And here _she_ was, ass half-asleep and trying to think up names for a dog she couldn't keep while waiting for Max Tate to do something remotely interesting.

She was gonna give Ozuma's old man a piece of her damn mind when this was over, because as Max came walking back into his bedroom with the remnants of a glass of water from lunch she felt _way _too stalker-ish.

This was weird; christ it was downright creepy, having to watch him like this...

When Max pulled off his t-shirt things achieved a whole 'nother level of fucked up and Mariam groaned. _'Don't look don't look don't look-'_

So she looked, but it was just for a second; long enough to see him cover his abs with a pajama shirt.

_'God Mari he's too young for you... You're BOTH too young for this level of creep-tastic.'_

Shaking her head, she boredly watched Max sit down at his desk and open his laptop. She let her mind go back to the task at hand; naming the little bundle of joy back in the hotel room.

"...Draciel?"

Max had pulled his green beyblade out of his pocket and rested the gleaming piece on the side of his desk... Just sitting there. Unsuspecting. Mariam was forced to grit her teeth and shake her head again, pushing hair out of her face.

She wasn't about to name the dog Draciel- Oh... Right. That was the main object of her night, wasn't it? Shit she was losing her focus. Mariam tilted her head as Max began to type aimlessly, an expression of warm content on his features. Draciel was right there...

Like literally, right there.

She could dart in and take it as soon as Tate went to take a piss or something-

"Max!"

Max's hand froze on his desk drawer.

"Yeah Mom?!"

"You better not eat any chocolate or candy before bed, I know you have it stashed up there young man and you're going to ruin a perfectly healthy dinner if you top it off with sweets!"

Mariam raised an eyebrow as Max mouthed what was definitely 'fuck', and slipped his hand inside the drawer to reveal a half-eaten Hershey bar.

Huh... She never took Max for the type to curse. What she'd seen of him on television, Tate was an upstanding young man.

"I'm _not _Mom..."

"You're going to get flabby before the championships!"

"Mom I'm NOT!"

Mariam let herself laugh when Max popped a cube of sweetness into his mouth anyways before dropping it back into his drawer and slamming it shut.

Hm... Come to think of it-

* * *

Time seemed to be going by at a snail's pace.

And all that served to do was further bury Mariam into cuddling and attending to the puppy.

By now as soon as she got back to the room she could hear the little paws scamper across the stained carpet before she even got her key in the lock. He was waaaaay too excited to see his salvation from the cold, cruel outside world and she was... The exact same way. When it became clear that the little pest could be trusted not to leave her side when she took him outdoors, Mariam said to hell with it...

She bought him a cheap collar and a leash.

So by week three she wasn't scouting out Max Tate alone anymore. Now her fluffy, brown companion sat patiently on the rooftop with her, nestled in her lap and none the wiser about just who they were up here watching.

Fingers lazily moving over the scamp's furry back, Mariam settled in for another night of Max-TV.

But something was different.

Max never came up to his bedroom after eating lunch; at least, not as quickly as he usually did (anxious for chocolate dessert). By the time ten minutes had passed, Mariam was starting to get curious. That was when she heard the apartment complex's door close down below. Cursing softly, she hugged the dog to her chest and walked quickly over to the other side of the building roof to see who had left the complex. Leaning over, her suspicions were confirmed: Max was putting on his headphones and zipping up a windbreaker as he went for an evening jog.

By now things had gotten so dull that she was practically ready to run a marathon; so Mariam looked down at the puppy, staring back up at her with eyes so bright and sweet and she smirked.

"Here's your chance to prove yourself... Better keep up."

She held him close as she scaled the fire escape ladder down to the sidewalk. Then put him on the ground, and the two were running to catch up to Max.

She had to admit... Life was made a lot funner with the dog around. He loped along by her side, pumping his stubby little legs to keep pace with Mariam as they tailed Max around a few city blocks. Previously, Mariam had found New York almost threatening by night... Now seeing it through Max's eyes as he ran, that made Mariam think differently.

So many shortcuts to take; so many late-night street vendors who waved to the blonde as he passed, kids out late beyblading who pointed and stared and said, "Hey there goes Max! Must be training for this year's championships!"

The city, though dark and with lots of strange noises, sights and smells, didn't seem so bad after all. Plus the dog was absolutely just loving all the running.

After about twenty minutes had passed, Mariam was (dare she say it) almost out of breath. So when Max started slowing down, breathing heavily himself she sighed in relief and slowed her pace to a walk. She and her little partner ducked behind a close bus shelter and watched... Eyes always on the look-out. Dunga had warned she, Ozuma and Joseph about possible interference; men in black suits apparently, keeping a bit of a close watch over Kai. With that knowledge in mind the Saint Shields had gotten even more guarded; no one was taking those bitbeasts but them.

Wiping some sweat off her brow, she glanced down at the panting pup. "Good work-out, huh?"

Bless his heart... Looked like he would happily run a mile more if that was what she wanted to do.

As Mariam returned her attention to Max, she watched the blonde take off his headset, shut off his iPod and push open the door of one of the buildings. Mariam tilted her head; while New York was pretty by night, this specific street wasn't exactly the ritz. It reminded her of the dirty alley outside of her motel where she'd found the dog; trash littered the sidewalks, there was a peculiar smell she wasn't sure she really liked, and every now and again came coughs from weird directions.

Needless to say, it didn't seem like the type of spot a high-flyer like Max Tate would frequent.

"What are you up to Max...?" She crept closer once the metal, heavy door clicked shut behind the BladeBreaker's back. She could see windows; worth a try. Mariam gave a little tug on the leash and her puppy partner trotted along eagerly with her as they snuck up to the side of the old, run-down warehouse. The voices, coughing and the low hum of dishware reached her ears when the two neared a cracked window. Mariam took the dog into her arms, and stared inside.

"Here again Max?"

A kind-looking man was giving Max a large pot of... Something, and Max was unzipping his windbreaker with a grin.

"I like to do my part to help out when I can!"

"That's a great attitude, son; we're very thankful for every hand on deck that we can get."

Mariam's heart twinged as she ran her eyes over the thirty-something heads clustered together at long tables; bowls and small plates with a slice of bread before them. Tattered jackets... Old knitted caps. Bags of every shape and form stacked nearby. When Max lifted the lid off his large silver pot, Mariam could admit to suddenly thinking more of Max Tate than she had previously.

It was a soup kitchen... And Max was volunteering.

"Well then...," She smiled softly down at the blinking dog. "I guess you can't judge a beyblading superstar by his cover, can you." The dog whimpered, pawed at her leg. So she lifted him up and let the creature stare inside at the hazy faces as they made small talk and enjoyed what was probably, for some, their first and only meal of a long hard day.

That was the first time Mariam took a second look at Max, and thought that he really was a nice guy. Not at all heartless, like so many people think celebrities truly are. And the way those bright blue eyes helped ladel soup and butter bread for an old woman with arthritis too badly in her fingers to do it herself... Mariam couldn't picture Max ever hurting someone else.

But she wasn't going to take any chances. "Come on dog, let's get outta here." She and the dog walked away from the soup kitchen and sat at a park bench a ways over so she could watch for Max's leaving.

A mission was a mission for a reason; and she wasn't going to let her family back at home down.

* * *

Mariam was forced to think again of Max Tate's kind nature a few days later.

She and the canine, who'd gained a couple pounds of muscle (from the horrible fatty food and the combined muscle work-outs running after Max every night) were Max-watching in the park. Blondie was beyblading with the tall guy from the All-Starz team; Ed, Edwin, Eddie or something; Mariam recognized him from television and the podcasts that kept fans up to date on beybladers during off-season.

She was keeping her distance. Not because she wasn't ready to challenge Max yet...

More so because she didn't want to break up the gaggle of fun those two were creating with a bunch of kids in the middle of Central Park.

With only two months or so passed since Max's World Championship win with the BladeBreakers, he was obviously still a hot commodity in his home town. The defensive blader was spinning Draciel (rather slowly), letting some kid who massively needed to wash his face totally plow him.

It was downright cute.

Max and Eddie made a pretty terrible team, that day in the park... But she supposed that was the point. At only fifteen, Max had no ego in sight; and clearly his boyish good looks were winning him some attention from on-lookers.

No; NOT onlookers like herself.

More so the girls Max probably went to school with; the ones who didn't beyblade because they might chip a nail but still wanted to date the hot jock on the football team. Eddie seemed pretty interested in those girls; Max didn't give them a glance outside of when they talked to him directly. He was all there... All about helping this kid launch; that kid strike.

He loved the sport... And it was painfully obvious that the sport, and its fans, loved him right back.

Mariam looked down at her pooch and crossed her arms. "I actually think if those girls had a choice between mauling you to death, and mauling Max... They might pick Max."

He barked his agreement.

* * *

Mariam waited another week. By now she had been in New York for about a month; Ozuma had faced off against Tyson. Joseph was going to close in on Ray, and Dunga was so ready for a beybattle to blow Kai's ego out of the water that he was itching.

She couldn't wait any longer.

It was a rainy day when she originally intended to face Max. And she'd never been more depressed on her trip, up until that point. New York seemed to lose its interface of new beginnings, hustle and bustle. Even the brightly colored lights seemed to lose their shine and kind faces were blocked out of view by black umbrellas.

It was the kind of night she would spend on the couch with a weak drink, watching a bad horror movie with her friends.

Mariam took a deep breath. Water ran in rivulets down her cloak, and she turned her head to watch the dog there; sitting on the bed. He was being left home today... Shitty weather and all. Maybe that was another reason she felt so lonely.

"You know I can't take you; so don't you give me that look."

He whined; she sighed. "Stay."

He had other plans.

Off the bed, between her ankles and right out the door into the rain.

"SHIT, DOG!"

That little brown tail was hauling ass and Mariam slammed her motel room door shut, locked it in a frenzy and then darted after him. All she needed now to make a crappy day even worse was for her only friend in this place to run into the street; that would've broken her heart.

But again... The dog had other ideas.

Mariam froze solid as she rounded the corner. Max was grinning, saying goodbye to a shopkeeper with an orange umbrella in hand and a new attack ring pinched between his fingers.

"Thanks, Bernie! I'll see you later." Max turned away from the door and Mariam put her back to him with a curse; not yet, not with her chasing after that mutt-

"Oh no!" Mariam raised an eyebrow and ducked back behind the corner of a building; eyes now intently focused on Tate. She didn't really expect the dog to be the main cause of her mission getting blown to bits; she really didn't. Nor did she want to come off as some love-struck girly girl with a taste for fuzzy things to her nemesis.

What she saw now was the attack ring; bumping and rolling where it had escaped from Max's fingers and was travelling now across the wet sidewalk.

Max was getting ready to give chase, butttttttt-

You guessed it. The dog.

The brown puppy came bursting forth from behind a streetlamp, tail in full swing and wagging happily as he found himself a fun-looking chewtoy. He planted his paws on the rolling attack ring and stopped it in its tracks. Shit.

Fuckshitgoddamndog-

"Hey there!" She watched with her jaw on the ground as Max ran over to the playing pup, biggest grin on his face. "You're a cute one... Thanks for saving this for me." He gently took the attack ring out of the animal's mouth and laughed, "dog drool; might be good for it. You never know."

That dog was enjoying Max's company way too much because he was barking and yipping, tail wagging enough to create a slight breeze. Max patted the dog's head. He studied the thin, raggedy light blue collar and frowned. "What's your name, little guy? Where's your owner?" He looked from side to side and Mariam nearly squeaked, had to make a mad dive to stay out of sight.

"I'd feel pretty bad leaving you alone out here-" Max didn't get to finish, because, thank the heavens above, the dog just barked at him; then turned on its heels and made a beeline for Mariam's hiding place.

Hearing those little paws scamper over the pavement was sweet music to Mariam's ears and she scooped the dog into her arms; managed to race up the nearest fire escape ladder JUST in time for Max to round the corner.

"Hey, you in here little guy?"

Mariam wanted to be angry; she did. But up on the rooftop all the dog wanted to do was give her kisses. And it kept him from barking at Max. So she let him.

Her heart was beating out of her chest as, at last, she heard Max's footsteps retreat from the alleyway.

"Alright I guess... Thanks for the help."

Tate disappeared around the corner, attack ring safely in-pocket and orange umbrella held high.

Yeah... She wasn't facing him today. Not after all that excitement. Sighing, Mariam carried the dog down the steel ladder, and in all the rain, they walked the short distance back to her motel room. "You're trouble, dog; you know that?"

Oh he did.

When they finally got inside, she watched him shake out his fur. In her head were the images of Max's smiling face, his shining eyes as he petted the dog. It took her another minute, slipping off her wet clothes, before she looked at the puppy and made a face.

"You stink."

* * *

The next day, she faced Max in battle.

The dog spent that evening locked up in Mariam's motel room; little bastard, chewed a hole in the only other pair of shoes she'd had.

The next night, she watched Max write an email or something on his laptop.

The puppy sat at her side... Tail swinging, staring into the blonde's room as Max chipped away, minute by minute at the chocolate bar. Mariam tilted her head and for the first time, she couldn't help but wonder if the beyblading champion was lonely. She'd seen his mother intrude quite a lot, but so far she hadn't watched Max spend particularly a long time with anyone. No visitors; just training. Customizing. Running and going to work with his mother.

Outside of that day at the park with Eddie, Mariam had barely seen Max Tate have a social life. Yet he was always so happy and up-beat. It made her glance down at the nuisance sitting beside her; they were a lot alike.

* * *

It was shortly after that that Mariam found out that Max was heading to Japan.

Figures... Apparently this new threat (she and her friends) were cause for concern and with Kai (and Dunga along with him) already in Japan, Max and Ray were next on the calling list. So, she and Joseph had to pack up and get the cheapest flight to BeyCity that they could.

Part of her was excited; it had been a month and a half without seeing her brother. Hell she was even starting to miss Ozuma and Dunga.

Part of her was devastated. Folding up her pajamas to rest in her duffle bag, Mariam smiled sadly as the dog hopped the fabric wall and went stomping through her neatly packed clothes and supplies. So she'd gotten attached to the dog... Moreso than she ever wanted to.

The new charm hanging from his collar jingled as he placed his paws on her thighs and stared up at her with obvious '_pick me up, cuddle me, LOVE ME' _eyes. It made her heart twinge... What was she going to do with him now...? He was an older dog now; still a puppy, but people drifted more towards adopting younger ones that they could raise to love them and them alone. And she didn't like the idea of just dropping him at some shelter's doorstep anyways... The people on tv who did that always made her sad.

This was exactly why she never should've taken the dog in.

"What am I going to do with you...?" She ruffled the brown fur behind his floppy ears and smiled, kissing the top of his head. She wanted him to have a good home... And she wanted him to make someone as happy as his company made her.

The answer came so quickly to Mariam then that she smacked herself in the forehead for never having thought of it before.

Clipping on his leash, she lifted him off the bed and together they left the room. They walked the street only a short distance, a walk that was so familiar to the both of them now, and he practically leapt right up into her arms when he saw the ladder come into view of their typical perch.

Only this time, Mariam took a different fire escape.

She hiked the metal rungs with the fuzzy dog safely cradled to her chest. When she'd found the level she was looking for, she peered into the window and breathed a sigh of relief to find nothing but another open suitcase and an empty bedroom to greet her. She put him in first; then jumped in after, careful not to make any noise.

"Okay... Here's home." She placed him on the black bedspread dotted with green, blue and purple and felt just a bit of moisture sting at the corners of her eyes.

She sighed; god she was such a sap.

"I think you'll be happy here..." He stared up at her and whined, eyes seeming both sad and happy at the same time; like that cuddly little brain of his knew just what was going on and where he had been dropped off. Why. "...I think you know you'll be safe here too."

She sucked in a deep breath that nearly drove the tears out of her eyes and kissed the top of his head quickly as footsteps came rapidly approaching the hallway; ascending the stairs.

"Alright... Keep dreaming, dog." She went back out the window, closed it behind her and left him sitting on the bed beside his new owner's suitcase.

"Get ready Max! Early rise tomorrow to catch your plane."

"I know Mom, I'm going to bed now!"

Max stretched out his arms and walked into his bedroom. The sight that greeted him made him stammer and come to screeching halt. "What the-... Mom?!"

"What is it?"

"Did you... Get me a dog?"

"What?"

Judy's question went unanswered as a litany of high-pitched barks reached her ears when the dog finally caught sight of Max. He bounded off the bed, all four paws in full-swing and jumped eagerly at his new friend's feet.

"Where did you come from, little guy...?!" Max kneeled down and laughed as he was instantly showered with puppy kisses. "Who brought you here...?" He lifted the squirming dog into his arms and walked over to his window.

Max glanced left, and he glanced right; but there was no one around.

He sighed and looked back down at the dog. A shimmer from the dog's collar made him raise an eyebrow however, and Max took the charm between his fingers. "Maybe there's an address on your tag..."

No address; just a name.

"_Chocolate."_

Max pursed his lips.

"I'm assuming someone left you here for a reason... and I'm also assuming that you're a gift." He lifted the dog above his head and grinned. "My mom might be a tough sell, but give her a shot of those big cute eyes and she'll keep you while I'm away for sure!"

Max laughed as the dog barked in agreement and Judy came up the stairs to see what all the commotion was about.

He may have suffered a new defeat... But he definitely had something to come home to now.

* * *

**MS: **Yes, so... That was that. Sorry for the suddenness of this oneshot everyone but rewatching 'Oliver & Company' and hearing Huey Lewis' iconic song _'Once Upon a Time in New York City' _there really was no holding this one back. A bit length for a oneshot I know, but here's to hoping that you stuck around to give it a chance. Thanks everyone! Review review review please :) Also; wondering if anyone is interested in a Beyblade roleplay over Skype. Any questions, send me a message!


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